File attachment for sanders



July 7, 1970 T. M. PORTER 3,513,735

FILE ATTACHMENT FOR SANDERS Filed Aug. 22. 1969 f n J United StatesPatent O 3,518,735 FILE ATTACHMENT FOR SANDERS Thomas M. Porter,Halliday, N. Dak. 58636 Filed Aug. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 852,249 Int. Cl.B23d 71/00 U.S. Cl. 29--78 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Myinvention relates to power operated tools and more particularly to animproved attachment for power operated tools to combine a file with asander.

The use of a power head with a plurality of tools as, `for example, themodification of a primary tool with an attachment for operation of asecondary tool, is known and in use. Such tools, to date, have notcombined the operation of a file with a motive power source in asimplified attachment which will permit shaping of the file.

ln the present invention, an orbital oscillating type sander is theprimary tool. The invention is directed to an improved attachment forcombining a file with the sander to utilize the orbital movement of theSame for working motion of the file and with provisions for shaping thefile so that it may be used fiat or contoured. Such le blades areflexible, as is the file attachment, and a simplified structure isprovided for shaping the same and for attaching the same to the sander.The improved tool has particular application in metal working, such asin automobile body repair where it is necessary in the elimination of orcontouring of bumps or dents on the surface of the same, that a le mustfirst be used to reduce the extreme high or low areas and to detect thesame. In such work the application of heat, such as through an acetylenetorch or heat, is normally combined with the filing and sandingoperation. With the improved file attachment ifor Sanders, theattachment may be readily connected to a speed sander, such as of thepneumatic type, so that the power operated file and torch may be usedsimultaneously to rapidly and readily detect and remove sharp variationsin the surface, and with the removal of the file attachment thefinishing or sanding operation may be completed. In the improved leattachment, a simplified clamping structure is provided which rigidlyattaches the attachment to the oscillating plate of the sander and thistwo-part structure includes provision for mounting of a tiled bladethereon. ln the attachment, a tension rod deforms the portion of theattachment upon which the file blade is mounted for the purpose offlexing or shaping the file blade to work over varying contours.

Thus, it is the principal object of this invention to provide animproved file attachment for Sanders.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fileattachment for sanders with provision for adjusting the contour of thefile blade attached thereto.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simplified fileattachment which is readily installed on the sander, is low in cost andeasy to maintain.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the attached description, together with the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a side elevation view of the improved file attachment forSanders;

Patented July 7, 1970 FIG. 2 is a plan view of the file attachment ofFIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the same',

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the improved file attachment attachedto a sander with the attachment deformed to show a position of contourof the le; and

FIG. 5 is another side elevation view of the file attachment showinganother position of contour of the same.

My improved file attachment for Sanders is shown in FIG. 4 attached to apneumatic orbital type sander, indicated generally at 10, whichincludesq in addition to the power `head 12, an oscillating plate 14upon which the sanding surface is afiixed. Such tools are available andin use and may take variation in form. Hence, it is only broadlydisclosed herein. The improved file attachment indicated generally at 20in FIG. l, includes a first and second part, indicated at 30 and 40,respectively. The parts include attaching or hook extremities 32, 42 atthe ends of the same which fit around the plate 14 of the sander and areattached thereto to secure the attachment to the oscillating plate ofthe sander for movement thereby. The part 30 is generally L-shaped inform having a straight portion 34 and a transversely extending portion36 remote from the hook extremity with a threaded aperture (not shown)therethrough through which is positioned a bolt 38 with a wing grip 39at the extremity of the same. The attachment part 40 includes anelongated base portion 42 with a transversely extending or upstandingportion 44 at one extremity of the same `which is generally L-shaped inform and terminating in the hook portion 42 with this part of the clamp.The opposite extremity of the base has a pair of upstanding flangeportions 45, 46 which are attached by a section 47 extending parallel tovthe base plate, the extremity defining a generally rectangular crosssection formed integral with the base plate.

The parts 30 and 40 of the tile attachment are of the same width and maybe approximately the same width as the sanding plate or slightly lessthan the same. The hook extremities 32, 42 are of the same overall widthas the general outline of the parts 30 and 40 of the file attachment.This structure is made of metal and will be deformable or flexible. Theupstanding portion 46 attached to the part 40 or the base 42 thereon hasa threaded aperture therein through which the bolt 38 extends for thepurpose of securing the parts 30 and 4l) of the attachment in assembledrelationship. In this relationship, the hook extremities 32, 42 will bedisposed in the same plane and a generally fiat surface will be providedby the portion 47 and the area of the upstanding flange 44 adjacent thehook extremity 42. A file 50 is attached to the base portion 42 of theattachment and is secured thereto through screw means 52 which threadthrough apertures in the file and into tapped apertures (not shown) inthe base portion 42 at the extent of the same. This will secure the filewhich is also metallic and slightly flexible or deformable to the part40 of the attachment.

In addition, a tension rod 60 having a threaded extremity 62 terminatingin a thumb grip 64 threads through a tapped and reinforced portion 65 inthe upstanding flange 44 of the attachment and includes, at its oppositeextremity, stop members 66, 67 which are positioned on either side ofthe ange portion 45 when the rod extends through an aperture in thesame. The tension rod or adjusting rod 60 may be threaded through thetapped reinforced section 65 in the clamp to cause one or the other ofthe stop members 67, 68 to bear against the upstanding or transverselyextending portion 45 of the clamp to cause the clamp to deform and curvethe base portion 42 either convex or concave deforming the file 50thereon in the same manner.

Thus, with my improved file attachment, a le blade 50 of the flexible ordeformable type may be attached through the screw means 52 to the baseportion or plate 42 of the attachment located on the flange part 40. Theparts 30 and 40 of the attachment are secured to the plate 14 of asander by positioning the hook extremities 32, 42 over the edges of thesame and threading the bolt 34 until the parts are brought together in arigid relationship clamping the hook extremities 30, 32 thereon. A stopnut 70 positioned on the bolt 38 insures that the nut will be held inlocked relationship when the attachment is assembled on the sander. Theattachment may be used with the file parallel to the blade surface ofthe sander or may be deformed and positioned arcuate therefrom byadjusting the tensioning or adjusting rod 6I) so that the upstandingportions 44 and 45 and 46 are deformed relative to the base plate of thesander to cause the file blade 50 to bow convex or concave as shown inFIG. of the drawing.

The improved sanding attachment when attached to an orbital sander, wilbe operated by oscillation of the sanding plate 14 to provide a tilesurface contour to the shape of the material being worked on and may beadjustable for any desired surface within limits of the deformation ofthe parts of the le attachment and the le blade attached thereto. Theimproved file attachment is particularly adapted for use in metalworking on automobile bodies where it is desired to remove high and lowspots caused by damage to the same.

What is claimed is:

1. A file attachment adapted tobe connected to an oscillating platesander comprising, a two-part clamp, each part having an attachingextremity adap-ted to fit around the oscillating plate of the orbitalsander, one of said parts including an adjustable connection to connectsaid one of said parts to the other of said parts and to adjust therelative spacing between the attaching extremities of the parts to mountthe clamp on the sander plate, le means positioned on the other of saidparts over the extent of the same and spaced from the attachingextremities of the clamp, and means included in the other of said partsfor adjusting the shape of the file means thereon.

2. The le attachment of claim l in which the other of the parts includesan elongated at base member with transversely extending flanges at theextremities of the same one of which is integral with the attachingextremity of the other of said parts, and with the transverselyextending flanges mounting said means for adjusting the shape of thelile means.

3. The file attachment of claim 2 in which the file means is mounted onthe elongated base member of said other of said parts.

4. The le attachment of claim 1 in which the attaching extremities ofthe parts include hook members formed integral with the parts andextending across the width of 4 the parts for securing the parts inassembled relationship on the plate of the oscillating sander.

5. The lle attachment of claim 2 in which the transversely extendingflange at the extremities of the flat base member remote from theattaching extremity is connected to the adjustable connection whichconnects said parts in assembled relationship.

6. The file attachment of claim 5 in which the parts of the clamp havethe same width dimension and the attaching extremities are hook membersextending across the width of the same and formed integral therewith andin which the elongated flat base member and the le means havesubstantially the same width and length dimension with the file meansbeing a exible file attached to the elongated at base member with screwmeans.

7. The le attachment of claim 2 in which the adjustable connectionpositioned in said one of said parts and connected to the other of saidparts is a threaded bolt extending through a tapped aperture in theother of said parts and adapted to move said parts toward and away fromone another to adjust the spacing between the attaching extremities ofsaid parts.

8. The le attachment of claim 5 in which the means adjusting the shapeof the file means is a rod having a flange extremity connected to one ofthe transversely extending flanges of the flat base member of the otherof said parts with the other extremity of the rod extending through athreaded aperture in the transversely extending flange at the extremityof the base member with said rod being threaded near its extremityremote from its flange extremity and positioned through said threadedaperture in the transversely extending flange to be manually rotatablefor flexing the base plate member and the le means thereon.

9. The file attachment of claim `8 in which the adjusting means in theform of the threaded rod includes a handle at the free extremity of thesame adapted to be manually rotated to space the transversely extendinganges at the extremities of the base plate member and distort the baseplate member with the le thereon to either side of n predeterminednormal position in which the anges are parallel to one another so as toprovide selectively a concave and a convex surface at the file attachedto the base plate member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,127,176 8/ 1938 Kroecker 29-802,682,699 7/1954 Merrill 29-80 2,962,798 12/1960 Gaskins 29--80 X3,079,667 3/1963 Landen et al. 29-76 HARRISON L. HINSON, PrimaryExaminer

